Mabbanana Aabaneene

Name: Mabbanana Aabaneene
Availability: InStock
Author: Ursula Nafula

A free picture book in Tonga by Ursula Nafula

Cover of Mabbanana Aabaneene, a Tonga picture book

Mabbanana Aabaneene is a picture book in Tonga for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tonga
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Chester Mwanza
Reading level: ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
From: Zambia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Mabbanana Aabaneene is a short illustrated picture book in Tonga by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Chester Mwanza. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Tonga. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Muunda wabaneene wakali mubotu. Mwakalizwide maila, inzembwe alimwi aa mwanja. Izyakali kwiindilila kubota mumuunda akali mabbanana. Baneene bakalijisi bazyukulu banji, pesi ndakalizyi kuti bakali kundiyandisya kwiinda bamwi. Bakali kundiita kuŋanda kwabo akundaambila maseseke manji. Pesi kuli comwe ncibatakali kundaambila: nkobakali…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Mabbanana Aabaneene” is also available in:

Reading together in Tonga

Read it aloud first, pointing at the pictures; then let your child “read” the pictures back to you.
Ask open questions: what happened, how did the character feel, what would you do?
Growing up with two languages? Talk about the story in whichever language feels easiest — the understanding carries over.

More free books in Tonga

See all 40 free Tonga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Mabbanana Aabaneene” free to read?

Yes. “Mabbanana Aabaneene” is free to read online in Pagine on any phone, tablet or computer — no payment and nothing to download. It is openly licensed (CC BY 3.0).

What language is “Mabbanana Aabaneene” in?

It is written in Tonga. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Tonga.

What age is “Mabbanana Aabaneene” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Mabbanana Aabaneene” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Mabbanana Aabaneene”?

“Mabbanana Aabaneene” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Tonga translation is by Chester Mwanza.

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Credits: Mabbanana Aabaneene — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Chester Mwanza. Tonga, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026